Frequently Asked Questions

Suspension bushings are fitted to cars at all points where the vehicle chassis is joined to a moving suspension component. They are fitted to provide a noise and vibration absorbing barrier between the road and you.

Rubber acts as that sound barrier, damping out noise and vibration. Without them cars would feel much harsher and noisier. Rubber is also very very cheap. 

In general the answer is no. A lot of race cars, especially single seater track based cars use metal joints which do not provide any noise absorbing. The life of these joints is measured in hours. They are not suitable for road use. However a huge number of race cars still use rubber bushings. These are either production based cars adapted for race use or rally cars where the forces on the suspension can be so high that metal joints would break.

If your race car has rubber bushings anywhere in the suspension then fitting POWERFLEX bushings will improve all aspects of it's handling. They will outlast rubber by a factor of ten. They will control the geometry much more accurately during rapid suspension movements and they will reduce tire wear.

Nylon is probably the worst of all worlds. When a suspension arm moves up and down it does not move only up and down but describes an arc. This means that, for example an inner track control arm bush will be required to flex in two dimensions at the same time. In this example a metal bush will allow this movement as will a rubber or POWERFLEX bushing. However a nylon bushing will allow up and down movement but 100% of the arc loadings will be transferred into the arm and the chassis. This causes arm flexing and can easily cause premature arm failure! Of course nylon has no vibration absorbing characteristics at all, so all vibration is transferred up the already highly stressed arm.

Cost, availability and marketing. Polyurethane, as a raw material is about ten times the cost of rubber plus it is more expensive and slower to process. Car manufacturers buy a lot of components. If Ford decided to use polyurethane bushings in their range of cars they would need to find a supplier capable of making literally millions of bushings a year. There is no company in the world (even EPTG Ltd) who could make those sort of quantities. Cars are all about marketing. As long as the standard rubber bushings work without serious failure for two or three years then the manufacturer is happy. Would fitting of polyurethane bushings make you buy one car in preference to another make? Probably not.

POWERFLEX bushings improve your cars' road holding and chassis performance by controlling the amount of unwanted flex in the suspension. This means your suspension is doing what it is supposed to. It means your tires have greater contact with the road at all times therefore improving safety and performance. Correctly formulated polyurethane is as good if not better at noise, vibration and harshness suppression when compared to rubber.

For exactly the same reason as above but with a different emphasis. If your tires are in better contact with the road and your suspension movements are being controlled more accurately then tire wear will be dramatically reduced. We have letters of recommendation from customers who state that they have doubled the life of their tires on certain cars after fitting POWERFLEX bushings. We are not claiming that you will get this but worn bushings are dangerous and will be costing you money due to premature tire wear. Have you ever taken your car into a tire shop with tires which are worn out on the inner or outer edges but perfectly legal everywhere else? You assume the tracking is wrong, but when the shop checks, it is correct. This is bushing wear. When the car is stationary the tracking is correct but as you move and the loads increase then the tracking goes out. Come to a stop and the tracking is right again. Worn bushings.

Another major advantage of POWERFLEX bushings is life. Rubber is a natural product and deteriorates with age, especially on cars which are not being used regularly. The bushings will crack on the outer surface and soften inside. POWERFLEX bushings are not affected by ultra-violet, petrol, oil, battery acid, water or time. Perfect for your loved one. (And the car.)